The Department of Education headquarters in Pasig City, Aug. 16, 2020. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File 

MANILA — The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Association on Saturday said it supports the Department of Education's investigation into "ghost" students as it stressed that the Senior High School Voucher Program has been a big help to actual learners.

COCOPEA lawyer Joseph Estrada told Teleradyo Serbisyo that the association wants the voucher program protected from potential fraud through "more efficient targeting" of beneficiaries.

DepEd probing 12 private schools possibly defrauding 'voucher program'

"Ang dami pong natutulungan ng Senior High School Voucher Program ng government. This year alone, more than a million ang ating subsidy beneficiaries and mayroong 4000+ na private schools participating in the program," Estrada said.

(The Senior High School Voucher Program has helped so many. This year alone, it has more than a million subsidiary beneficiaries, with more than 4,000 schools participating in the program)

The DepEd has an Education Service Contracting agreement with private schools for them to take in learners to help decongest public schools. The voucher program is meant to help defray the costs of private school tuition.

COCOPEA said it does not know which of the private schools are among the 12 being investigated for potential fraud but said its member schools "have consistently remained uninvolved in fraud cases."

DEPED TO PROBE POTENTIAL FRAUD

On Monday, DepEd said it will probe several schools allegedly defrauding the voucher program. Education Secretary Sonny Angara said they will explore legal measures against those who will be found liable.

Sen. Win Gatchalian in 2024 flagged the supposed existence of more than 19,000 supposed "ghost" students, based on the Commission on Audit (COA)'s 2016 and 2018 reports.

Voucher program questioned due to alleged 'ghost students'

COA defined "ghost students" are those “whose absence cannot be satisfactorily explained by the school officials”, are listed under one school but attend a different school or campus, or are “listed as enrolled but have not attended classes since the start of the semester.”

COCOPEA, however, said there are cases where the "double billing" happens in private schools not because of fraud but due to system challenges.

"Halimbawa, 'yung isang estudyante nag-decide siya na mag-enroll sa private school tapos nagbago ang isip at lumipat sa isa na namang private school within the billing period, talagang magkakaproblema kung sino 'yung magbi-bill," Estrada explained.

(For example, a student may decide to enroll at one private school and decide to switch schools during the billing period. That will really cause problems on who will be doing the billing.)

House OKs bill seeking to expand gov’t subsidy for students in private schools

He stressed COCOPEA worries that the misused funds from alleged ghost students of 12 schools could significantly affect the government and the program.

He also noted that the group advocates for "quality assurance of the private schools" participating in the program, saying better screening would help prevent "ghost" students.

In the past, schools with reported irregularities in implementing and utilizing subsidies would refund the given voucher, whether the billing issue was intentional or not, he said.

Schools begin refund of gov't subsidies after irregularities in DepEd voucher program